Gaming's Top 10 Easter Eggs

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In time for Easter, check out the best hidden extras in gaming history.

By IGN AU Staff

Alright, so even if you're not of a Judaeo-Christian upbringing and you don't eat chocolate, Easter can still hold some significance to you – in the form of classic gaming Easter Eggs – the hidden rooms, subtle references and in-jokes left by developers in commercial release, put in there for gamers to stumble upon and wonder about. Join us as we take this religious holiday as a great excuse to re-examine some of the best Gaming Easter Eggs out there.

Metal Gear Solid

- Psycho Mantis Reads Your Mind

One of the things that really set Metal Gear Solid apart on the original PlayStation was its attention to detail. Beyond the excellent setting, technical accuracy and storytelling, an encounter with Psycho Mantis in a plush office late in the game actually broke the fourth wall. The psychic and telekinetic villain would actually scan your PlayStation memory card for Konami save games and make comments on your gaming trends. Spooky. Clever.

Halo: Combat Evolved

- Covenant Grunt's Food Nipple

The life of a hapless Covenant grunt is no pleasant thing; you're essentially the first line of defence against the UNSC – which makes you about as useful against a Spartan as a spatula is against a runaway bulldozer. Still, there are perks – such as the food nipples onboard Covenant craft. If you happened to round the right corner in the original Halo, you'd come across a passive grunt who'd say the following: "Good thing the food nipple's waiting for me back up on the star ship, 'cause man! I've worked up a great big Grunty Thirst!" Nice.

Diablo II

- Cows From Hell

Waaaaay back when, back during the original Diablo era of the mid-90s, a rumour began that there was a hidden 'cows' level buried deep in the game – a stage that only the most click-happy fans could unlock. It was, sadly, a lie. However, Blizzard does love its fans – so lo and behold the sequel, Diablo II, does in fact contain a secret Cows stage. This one was triggered by collecting a specific item before beating the game and then entering a portal to the alternate hell-cow dimension, where wave after wave of angry cattle would come at you from all directions.

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

- The Legend of Chris Houlihan

The famed Nintendo gaming magazine, Nintendo Power, once held a competition for readers to get their names in the then-upcoming Super Nintendo Zelda game. In the end, Chris Houlihan prevailed – and his room could be accessed by speed-running with Pegasus Boots from Kakariko Village through the forest and to Hyrule Castle. A screen would pop up with link in a room full of silver rupees and the following message: "My name is Chris Houlihan. This is my top secret room. Keep it between us, OK?" Sorry Chris, your secret's been out for a long time.

Doom II

- John Romero Must Die

Look, people just didn't like John Romero a whole lot during the Doom II development cycle at id. The guy had a monumental ego and a head of hair that you really wanted to feed into a meat grinder. That aside, his staff managed to have the final laugh with a little 'tribute' to Romero in Doom II. In order to find this secret room, you had to turn on 'No Clippings' and walk through a wall in the final room in the game. Then you'd be confronted by this guy – a Hell-Romero.